How to Disable Advertising ID and Tracking in Windows 11

Windows 11 utilizes a unique advertising ID and background activity history to deliver targeted advertisements and personalized app recommendations. Disabling these built-in data collection features reduces telemetry and significantly enhances your privacy. This guide provides direct, step-by-step instructions to turn off the advertising ID, clear your activity history, and disable tailored diagnostic tracking on your Windows 11 computer.

How to Turn Off the Windows 11 Advertising ID

Disabling the advertising ID prevents third-party apps from tracking your usage across the operating system to serve targeted ads.

  1. Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings menu.
  2. Select Privacy & security from the left-hand navigation pane.
  3. Click on General under the Windows permissions section.
  4. Toggle the switch next to Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID to Off.
  5. (Optional) For maximum privacy, toggle off the remaining settings in this menu:
    • Let websites show me locally relevant content by accessing my language list
    • Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches
    • Show me suggested content in the Settings app

How to Disable Activity History

Activity history tracks the apps and services you open, your web browsing, and how you interact with files.

  1. Open Settings (Windows Key + I).
  2. Go to Privacy & security > Activity history.
  3. Toggle the switch next to Store my activity history on this device to Off.
  4. Scroll down to the Clear activity history section and click the Clear button to remove previously stored data.

How to Disable Tailored Experiences (Diagnostic Tracking)

Microsoft can use your device diagnostic data to show personalized tips, ads, and recommendations. To disable this feature:

  1. Open Settings (Windows Key + I).
  2. Navigate to Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback.
  3. Click the Tailored experiences dropdown to expand the menu.
  4. Toggle the setting to Off to prevent Microsoft from using your diagnostic data for personalized recommendations and advertising.